


SDA: Addictions

by orphan_account



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Drugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 11:50:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11104011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: What happens when a case goes sideways, and one of their own ends up in bad shape?





	SDA: Addictions

“Our perpetrator will be arriving soon, I don’t think I need to tell you to be ready.”

“’Course not.”

Ranmaru fixed his collar, glancing down at the crouching detective on their phone. “Should I need to tell you?” He questioned, nudging Ai with his knee and getting a look of annoyance in return. “Only joking. What’re you tapping on there?”

“Camus recommended several books for me to read. I thought it would be a good way to pass the time while we wait.”

“And?”

“They are interesting, though I prefer science-fiction to romance novels. I can’t say it’s bad, however.”

“Seriously?”

A car driving up to the corner interrupted their conversation, and a man—the man they had been waiting for—stepped out of the car and gave the two of them a once-over before speaking.

“You must be the new guys. See anyone lurking around?”

“Other than us? Not a soul.”

“Good, follow me and I’ll show you what you’ll be selling.”

The undercover detectives gave each other a glance before standing up and following the man. They went down an alley, and then into a small, generator room for the building it was a part of. Several inconspicuous boxes filled a corner of the room. The three of them walked over to it, and the man pulled open the boxes and took out a small, clear bag full of a white-orange powder.

“You keep a bunch of these on you, don’t go back here until after you run out, and only alone, and at three hour intervals. A guy named G.J. comes by, you bring him back here. One box is all he gets. Any questions? Yeah, pink eye?”

“Yeah, I’ve got one.” Ranmaru lowered his hand. “Do you have wrist problems? Aches or pains?” It earned him a look from their target, but the question was answered nonetheless.

“No, why?”

“Because you’re under arrest for the distribution and trafficking of illegal substances. Put your hands up and turn around.”

 

~~

 

“We’re back. Where’d Reiji go?”

“Out, about an hour ago.” Camus gave them a shrug, closing the file he had in hand. “After you made the bust, he wanted to check on his CI. Their information removed a fair amount of business from the street, and they may need to testify.”

“And where’s his CI?”

“…Downstairs, actually. But I don’t see Reiji anywhere on the cameras.” Ai states from his desk, furrowing his eyes at the computer screen. “I’ll send them up, and we can speak with him in person.”

A few taps, and the sound of the gate opening downstairs was heard. The CI went up, rather hurriedly, to meet them.

“You are Kotobuki’s partners?”

“Yeah, where is he? Wasn’t he supposed to—”

“Pick me up? Yeah. Stopped by my house and all. Then these guys from the crew, they showed up. I started getting nervous, he covered for me. Told me to go on ahead and ‘get pop for the party’ which is his code for, you know, go to the cops. Gave me his keys, said he’d catch up.”

“So you’re here, how long ago was this?”

“About twenty minutes—I got here as fast as I could.”

“We’ll need you to tell us who was at your house, as well as everything that happened up until the point you left. Let’s talk in here.” Camus walked away from his desk to go into the break room, and the CI followed him. Ranmaru took out his phone, dialing Reiji’s number as he went around to Ai’s desk.

“Nothing.”

“His phone was turned off approximately ten minutes ago, the last location being the CI’s house.”  
“And where’s that?”

 

~~

 

Reiji was thankful that the apartment was only minutes away by walking distance, but it seemed like forever when his vision was warping, distorted in his stride. He fought the sluggishness, waving off any and all concerned passersby as he pushed open the gate to the building.

Through the doors and to the elevator he went, gripping the bar inside as it went up several floors. Nearly stumbling out the sliding doors and into the hall, he made his way to the door of his shared apartment with high difficulty, and he hadn’t even tried to open it yet.

Fumbling for his keys was a whole other challenge in itself, but both fortunately and not, he didn’t need to. A hand grasped his wrist, and the chain was taken from him. Reiji looked behind him at the culprit, and despite his askew sight, the familiar color scheme was enough for him to recognize them.

“…Camus. I—” 

“Explain inside, I’ll be calling Kurosaki and Ai soon.”

The door opened, and Camus helped Reiji into their apartment, practically dragging the drugged man over to lay them on the couch. They curled up on their side, squeezing their eyes shut while he went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. “Focus, Reiji. You went to the house, men from their former gang arrived. You got your informant out and directed him to the police station. What happened afterwards?”

“No, no. They—they were in the basement, already.” Reiji reached with a shaky hand to take the glass of water, taking a sip before continuing. “The drugs were in the basement. Same kind—I couldn’t leave, I wasn’t allowed to—They—The drugs—” He shook his head, pressing his arm against his face. “I messed up, I messed up so bad.”

“Remain calm, sleep it off.” Camus took out his phone, and started to type when Reiji spoke again.

“My CI, he’s—He’s—”

“He’s fine, he made it to the agency.”

“No! No he...He never left the—The information. It was just to…to get rid of a rival seller, and we—We fell for it.”

“It isn’t your fault, we’ll fix it before the week is up.”

“I just—I feel so…so…”

Camus left the main room, only to open the nearby closet and take out a blanket. He returned to Reiji’s side, draping it over them while they rolled onto their side, going quiet to stare at the half-full glass of water on the table. 

His phone rang, and he answered.

“Kurosaki, what’s the status of the house?”

“Empty, nobody in or out. Some traces of the orange shit, but no Reiji save for his hat. Ai’s checking for cameras. Why’d you want me to call?”

“I’m at our apartment, Reiji is here, he’s...” He pauses, looking down at the detective with eyes wavering about, murmuring. “Resting, but he’s told me information important to our current investigation, acquired at great personal cost.”

“What?! What’d he do?”

“I’ll explain when you get here.”

“What the fuck did he do?!”

 

~~

 

Ranmaru and Ai walked down the hall, the former moving quicker to their shared apartment. The other pair was still in the main room, Reiji sleeping on the couch while Camus read a book nearby. At the door opening he looked over, closing the novel as he stood up.

“Keep your voices down, he finally fell asleep.” 

“Are you going to explain?”

Camus waved them over as he walked out of the room, and they followed. The three of them stood in the near corridor and awaited an explanation.

“The CI was crooked, from what Kotobuki was able to tell me. When he went to get them, they were with the crew that he supposedly left, in the basement and dealing with the same drugs that the two of you confiscated earlier today.”

“What about the ‘personal cost’ you spoke of?”

“He was forced to take part in the drug, is what I gathered. They took his car, and left him at the house. I saw him on his way to the apartment in a state of near-delirium, and have kept an eye on him since—Kurosaki.”

“Goddamnit.”

Ranmaru was gripping Reiji’s hat tightly, a look of pure anger on his face. “He was clean, damnit!” It took all his strength not to punch the nearest wall and risk waking their companion sleeping in the room beside them. He suddenly turned and walked away from them, over to Reiji, crouching down just as they opened their eyes—focusing on Ranmaru for a moment.

“Hi there, stranger.”

“Hey. How’re you doing?”

“That’s the question of the century…Somewhere between the high and the withdrawl. Crappy on a few levels.”

“I bet.” Ranmaru set the hat down on the table and took off a hairband from his wrist. “You’re probably going to need this, lift your head a little.” The other detective did as told, and he pushed Reiji’s hair back away from their sweat-covered face, tying it into an messy bun. “There.”

“You’re the best. I'm—”

“If you’re going to apologize, don’t. You didn’t do this to yourself, so don’t. Got it?”

“I know.”

Reiji reached over a gripped Ranmaru’s hand with his own clammy hand, holding it tightly. From the doorway Camus and Ai watched, and the latter gave the other a curious look.

“I wasn’t aware of their history. Has this happened before?”

“A long time ago, Kurosaki helped him get clean a few times before they went into the academy. Kotobuki has been clean ever since” Camus gestures. “until now. I suppose the circumstances are different, this time around.”

“He should be brought to the hospital, is it wise for him to be here instead?”

“If the situation called for it, he would tell us. We can only be here to support him through it.”

“I guess.”

“Hey.”

Ranmaru returned to their side, Reiji having gone back to sleep. He looked at the two of them, before pointing a thumb toward the chair. “Ai, you mind keeping an eye on him? We need to get these guys before that stuff hits the streets.”

“I’ll keep you updated on his condition.”

Ai received a pat on his arm before the two left, and he shook his head before walking over to the couches and sitting down. He removed his computer bag from his shoulder and took out the terminal, looking over at Reiji as they suddenly stood up. “Reiji?”

“I…I need to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

Reiji hurried, as much as he could, to the bathroom. He leaned over the sink, turning the faucet on and splashing his face with cold water. It didn’t help much, but it was something. He couldn’t just stay here and do nothing, no. But he couldn’t focus like this—or maybe this was what he needed.

As he turned and walked out of the bathroom, he was met with a concerned Ai.

“You should rest.”

“I’ve got a better idea.” Reiji patted his pockets until he found his phone, and texted something to his CI. It didn’t take long to get a response, and he looked up at the other detective. “Let’s go for a drive.”

 

~~

 

“You haven’t said a word since we left. Are you that angry?”

“Angry? No. I’m _furious_!”

Ranmaru slapped his hand down on the dashboard to emphasize his point. “Reiji should have never been in that situation! We got duped by our own CI, and we’re supposed to be detectives! How the hell can something like that get past us?! It’s a damn disgrace.”

“Calm yourself. We’ll get the guy, but we can’t if you let loose on him. Understand?”

“You don’t understand, not one damn bit! You didn’t go with him, and you were his back up while we were gone. His condition is on your head too.”

“Neither of us knew what was going on in that house, had I did I would have gone with him. But we didn’t, so don’t put the blame on me.”

“It happened, its done, right? Except it’s not. Do you know how hard—how hard Reiji worked to get to where he is now?! I was there every step of the way and he might be right back to the beginning. I do not want him to have to go through that again.”

“That’s what you’re really mad about. You won’t be the only person there to support him if it ends up like that. Understand?”

Silence descended on the pair as they drove, broken by the passenger side floor being kicked several times by a swearing detective. Camus wasn’t fazed by it, if anything he was annoyed. “You can throw a tantrum all you want right now, but when the time comes to do act like an adult, act like an adult.”

“Yeah, got it. I’m good now.”

“Are you?”

“I just…” Another punch to the dashboard, and Ranmaru slumped in his seat. “Yeah, I’m good.” He reaches over to the terminal and flicked a button. “Ai, you got anything for us?” What they got was silence, but after a moment text appeared on the screen, which turned out to be an address.

“That would be a yes.”

They stopped the car, only to turn around and head down a different road toward their new destination.

 

~~

 

“How long until they get here?”

“Approximately ten minutes, give or take. Reiji, where are you going?”

“Ten minutes is all I need. Wait here.”

“I can’t do that. It could be an ambush.”

“It's not like them.”

Reiji rubbed his eyes, before wiping the sweat from his face. “Fool me once, shame on them. Fool me twice?” He gave the other detective a tired grin, before getting out of the car. “Camera going?” He adjusts his jacket, and Ai sighed and nodded, lifting the terminal from his lap to show him the screen, and thus an image of the tech itself. “You’ll know if you need to help, okay?”

“I’ll be right in if the situation goes bad. Earpiece in?”

“Got it.”

He stepped away from the car with that, and went around the corner—down a row of rent-a-storage sheds. In front of one was the CI that double-crossed him and a gang member he recognized from the house. The former spotted and lifted a hand to signal him with a smirk on his face.

“Damn, you look like shit.”

“We both know the reason for that, what’re you waiting for?”

“Don’t get your britches in a bunch, come on.”

The former-CI pushed the door open, and the two of them went into the storage shed, leaving the other man outside. There were the boxes from the basement, and then some. Opened and not, and Reiji made sure that the camera saw both. 

“Selling already?”

“What can I say, I’m a risk taker. Being risky pays off, you know.”

“I’ve had my fair share of risks, so yeah I know.”

“’Course. Although, speaking of pay…”

Reiji watched as they went over to a box and took out a packet, waving it at him. “Consider this a freebie, yeah? A more willing one, at least.” They held it out, and he clenched his hands into fists as they spoke again. “No hard feelings?” That, that made him laugh, and he ignored Ai’s warning in his ear.

“No hard feelings? No hard feelings about you forcing drugs into my system? About—about trying to get me addicted to them so you’ve got a cop on your side?! And you’re telling me, no hard feelings?”

“Woah, woah. That’s the withdrawal talking, no need to be so angry. Though maybe you need a little nudge? It’s always a little scary the first few times.”

“Don’t even go there.”

: “Reiji, we’re coming in.” :

The dealer didn’t waste time in moving forward, drugs in hand. A struggle ensued, a one-sided one at that. Though Reiji was weakened, he fought—landing several punches as he did. Within moments it was over, but the open bag fell as his former CI was pulled off him and he got a face full of the powder substance. Through his coughs and gasps, and the dust cloud itself, he could see little of anybody but the other detectives’ voices were recognizable.

“You are under arrest—”

“All of this is going to the station—”

“Reiji, hey! Reiji! You still with us?”

He tried hard not to breathe in the powder, wiping as much as he could away from his face and out of his eyes. He already felt himself slipping out of lucidity, reaching his hands up to grasp at whatever he could, which happened to be the back of someone else’s hands.

“I need—I need to go to the hospital. Now.”

Reiji was pulled onto his feet, immediately slumping against whoever it was. Before he even knew it, he was in a car and on the way to the hospital—the next he was there, being wheeled away on a bed. He heard doctors and nurses, and then he had some resemblance of sight. Tubes were everywhere and anywhere, including his mouth and nose. His partners weren’t anywhere to be seen—as much as he could see—although he could hear their faint calls until he lost focus, and everything went dark.

 

~~

 

“It feels like he’s been asleep for—”

“Ever?”

“Hours.”

Camus and Ranmaru exchanged looks from their respective spots in Reiji’s hospital room, but said nothing further. It was Ai that spoke next, looking away from the hallway to the detectives.

“He’s been asleep for four hours and thirty-seven minutes.”

“That’s way too long.”

“Agreed.”

“The doctor said they got most of it out of his system, so he’ll be fine. Cut the doubting crap, it’s not helping him one bit.” Ranmaru snapped at the two of them from the foot of the bed. “He needs our support, not pessimism. So get it together.”

“We’re simply stating what’s true. Of course Kotobuki will pull through, there’s no doubt.”

“It’s only a matter of time.”

Both Ai and Camus moved from their spots in favor of sitting on the bed alongside the other two detectives. “Is there anything you want to add?” Ranmaru lifted his hands, and after a few moments they heard a soft laugh coming from the detective laying on the bed.

“I’m not allowed to be in a coma without you guys arguing, am I?”

All attention went to Reiji, who had their eyes half-open and was staring at the lot with a tired smile. Altogether they held his hands, and if not his hands, his forearms. “Hey, come on! You’re all acting like I almost died or something.” That earned him a right and proper noogie from Ranmaru, while the other two smiled.

“‘Almost died or something’ I ought to kick your ass for that!”

“Ow, hey! I was only joking!”

“Careful, he only just woke up.”

“The nurse will make us leave if his heart rate gets too high.”

The playfight ended after that, and Reiji settled with gripping their hands tightly. “What would I do without you guys?” The smile faded, and he lifted his arm to rub his face.

“Maybe sleep? You only just got out of surgery, no doubt you’re still exhausted.”

“Oh, yeah. Feels like I had tubes shoved up and down my nose and mouth. On top of being drugged twice in one day.”

A short laugh came from the detective hooked up to the monitors, but the others didn’t find it so funny; the looks on their faces was clear on that. Reiji pulled his hands away from theirs to cover his face, tilting his head back. “…Sorry. That wasn’t very funny.”

“You don’t need to make light of this, we understand.”

“And we’re here for you, you know that. Ranmaru?”

The detective in question had moved back to the end of the bed and was looking away from them, thinking. As Ai was going to speak, a hand clasped around his shoulder. He looked to Camus, who nodded towards the door.

“We ought to make a store and coffee run, I suspect we’ll be here a while.”

“Oh, alright. Reiji, do you need anything?”

“A big bottle of water would be nice. I feel like I just walked through a desert.”

“Okay, we’ll be right back.”

The pair exited the room, leaving Reiji and Ranmaru alone. The latter turned to face him after a moment, a look of seriousness on his face causing Reiji to tense up as they spoke, pointing a finger at him.

“I’m not angry at you, but if you ever try going solo during a drug case again I will lock you in the break room until it’s over. Got it?”

“…I’m scared, Ran.”

Reiji hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but he did. As soon as he did, tears welled up in his face and he clasped his hands so tightly together his knuckles turned white, and he continued. “I was stupid, I made the case personal and now I—I—” He slumped pressing his hands to his forehead as he cried. “I was clean and now I’m not, and I feel fine right now but what if I just—and I can’t—”

“Hey, hey. Don’t do that, listen. Look at me.”

Ranmaru scooted closer to Reiji clasped his hands around the other detective’s and pulled them away from their teary face. “You have control over this, okay? You” He put a finger on their chest. “are in control. You are strong, and you will get through this just like before, and you will come back even stronger.”

“We worked so hard—You. You worked so hard. I couldn’t have even gotten started without you and now—”

“And now you’ve still got me. Come here and stop crying before a nurse kicks me out. Deep breaths.”

Reiji was pulled into a tight embrace by his partner and he opted to remain quiet, pressing his face against the leather shoulder of their jacket while he worked to calm down, listening to Ranmaru as they continued to reassure him. “You’ve got me, you’ve got Ai, and Camus. None of us are leaving you by yourself through this, and you _will_ get through this. Okay?”

“Yeah…yeah. Okay.”

“Good, now let’s have a look at you.”

Ranmaru pulled away from him, only to put his hands on Reiji’s now-red and puffy face and wipe away loose tears. “I’m definitely going to get a scolding from the nurse. Or Ai and Camus.” He grins a bit crookedly, which in turn made Reiji smile.

“Probably all three.”

“That’d be my luck, wouldn’t it?”

“Always.”

 

~~

 

The bullpen was more than too quiet, with there only ever being two of the detectives present at a time for a few weeks. But today—or night, rather—it was Ranmaru, Camus, and Ai. They last of the files on their desks were finished, and they seemed to be waiting; some more patiently than others.

“What’s taking so long?”

“You know the sergeant, always with the dramatic effects.”

“Hopefully that means it’s good news.”

They didn’t dwell on it much longer, because said sergeant walked out of his office with papers, and Reiji’s badge in hand. His glasses hid his expression, and he cleared his throat before speaking to the detectives.

“The results…are in!” Shining Saotome held them out for the group to take, and they did, reading over everything as he continued. “And your shift is over, go on!” He shooed them away, and the three of them grabbed their things, and left in a hurry down the stairs and out the doors.

“Woah! Where’s the fire?”

They were met with the bright smile of the previously-incapacitated Reiji, who was leaning against his car. “So? What’re the results? Don’t leave me hanging here!” He clapped his hands together, waiting for an answer from his friends. His badge was tossed to him, and he caught it as the three walked over, Ranmaru being the first to answer his question, papers held out.

“Passed with flying colors. Welcome back, partner.” 

“Unsurprising, of course. Ai?”

“The remainder of the crew was arrested while you were gone, theres no need to worry about them anymore.”

“This day just keeps getting better! I stopped by the store earlier and”

Reiji turned around, reaching into the car and holding up a game case. “This was on sale! Who’s ready for a karaoke night?”


End file.
